The earth is 71% aqueous. Our bodies, at 60% water, are almost equal to this. I like to think that my body exceeds this average; I have never lived more than two miles away from the largest source of fresh water in the world, and I couldn’t imagine growing up without it. The 94,000 square miles of the Great Lakes have inspired, tried, and motivated me to become the person I am today. This water flows, both literally and figuratively, through my veins. My life has always been filled of water. Since I was 4, my family and I have packed our lives into a sailboat and explored Lake Michigan and Canada’s North Channel; these open waters have harbored some of my greatest childhood memories. Every year I rediscover a child-like element in myself, one that stops me from worrying about the insignificant details of my daily life, and forces me to slow down and relish the company of my parents. This quality time has formed a unique relationship within my family, one many people my age don’t share. My daily interactions with my family remind me of these connections; I’m incredibly grateful to have an opportunity where I can reestablish them when they can be so often lost. The water anchors me. …show more content…
For the past 5 summers, I’ve canoed in the boundary waters of Canada with my summer camp. Over ten days, we lived with what we could carry: packed food and wrinkled clothes. We’ve experienced everything from intense heat and absurd headwinds to constant rain and torrential downpours. I’ve narrowly escaped crashing our precious canoe into boulders while cascading down a rapid, and I’ve suffered countless bug bites and sunburns. Many times I have questioned why I’m there, nevertheless, I keep going back. I’ve learned to pursue these situations as trials instead of impossible battles. The water challenges